This book questions the practices in the policy processes of international institutions. It looks at the formal and informal practices that are routinely undertaken as part of the structure of international policy processes, and analyzes how people behave and with what outcome for international environmental governance.

A bold and profoundly new way of governing environmental problems is palpable around the globe and aims to overcome the limitations of the interventionist state and its market alternative to offer more effective and legitimate solutions to today's most pressing environmental problems. The 'new environmental governance' (NEG) emphasises a host of novel characteristics including participation, collaboration, deliberation, learning and adaptation and 'new' forms of accountability. While these unique features have generated significant praise from legal and governance scholars, there have been very few systematic evaluations of NEG in practice, and it is still unclear whether NEG will in fact 'work', and if so, when and how. This book offers one of the most rigorous research investigations into cutting edge trends in environmental governance to date. Focusing its inquiry around some of the most central, controversial and/or under researched characteristics of NEG, the book offers fresh insights into the conditions under which we can best achieve successful collaboration, effective learning and adaptation, meaningful participatory and deliberative governance and effective forms of accountability. The book synthesizes its findings to identify seven key pillars of 'good' NEG that are central to its success and will provide useful guidance for policymakers and scholars seeking to apply new governance to a wide range of environmental and non-environmental policy contexts. The book also advances our understanding of State governance and will be a valuable reference for scholars, researchers and students working in law and regulation studies - especially in the field of environmental law.

Description
Both issues, poverty reduction and environmental degradation, are considered as the greatest global challenges of twenty-first century. Developing countries, which are the primary sufferers, are formulating and implementing different policies and programmes to address these problems. Most of the developing countries have signed for achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), an ambitious global development agenda, designed by the United Nations in 2000, in national level by 2015. This analyses the progress of Nepal towards MDGs, particularly, poverty reduction and environmental sustainability, and reviews the policies, programmes and activities. The analysis highlights the challenges and opportunities to achieve environment and poverty related to MDGs. The study also identifies how its goals are internalized into other policies and programmes, formulation and their implementation and activities, and what the causal relationships between poverty and environment in rural and urban areas of Nepal are. The analysis also highlights the situation of synergic efforts made by Nepal's government to address these challenges in cost effective manner.

The Second IPSI Global Conference will be organised in Nairobi, 13-14 March 2012. As described in the Operational Framework of the IPSI, the functions of the IPSI Global Conference are two-fold:

The IPSI Assembly – attended by the heads of member organisations or their nominated representative to review overall activities and take decisions on institutional matters.

The Public Forum – attended by all interested stakeholders (1) to strengthen collaboration and synergies among members as well as between the Satoyama Initiative and other relevant initiatives and programmes, and (2) to enhance understanding and raise awareness of the importance of socio-ecological production landscapes.

Tentative agenda, and details of this conference will be announced shortly.

The Environment Bureau launched on 10
January 2012 the public consultation on the introduction of charging as an
economic means to reduce the generation of municipal solid waste. The
consultation document gives an overview of waste management in Hong Kong, and
also outlines the international experience in waste charging and key
considerations for the implementation of such a scheme in Hong Kong. The
consultation will last for three months from now until 10 April 2012. Members of
the public are welcome to give their views. The consultation document is
available at the offices of the Environmental Protection Department, the
Environmental Resource Centres and the Public Enquiry Service Centres of Home
Affairs Department. They can also be downloaded from the dedicated website.

The 12th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) will be held 2-4 February 2012 in New Delhi, India. DSDS is organized annually by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) since 2001, being an international undertaking that provides a platform for the exchange of knowledge on all aspects of sustainable development. Over the past ten years, DSDS has emerged as one of the most important forums on global sustainability issues, which brings together important heads of the State and Central Governments, academicians, and policy makers to deliberate over environmental issues. The theme of DSDS 2012 is Protecting the Global Commons: 20 years post Rio. The debates at this DSDS will revolve around the commons and take stock of the situation since the Rio summit of 1992.

The second International Conference on Environmental Pollution, Restoration and Management
(Hanoi University of Science, Loyola University Chicago, SETAC AP Joint Conference)
Conference theme: Enhancing environmental research and education in developing countries

Environmental pollution has become a global issue for the past few decades. Most of it is caused by industrial development and human activities. The recent rapid economic and industrial developments in Asian countries (e.g., China, Vietnam, etc.) have resulted in increased pressures on the environment. Urban development has also resulted in changes in land use that directly affects water resources and ecosystems. Surface water in some Asian countries has been contaminated with both organic and inorganic substances. In big cities and industrial areas, air is polluted with chemicals emitted from industrial facilities. This directly affects public health.

The conference aims to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas on the latest business innovation developments in the field of economics, different areas of social sciences and environment among researchers and practitioners in universities and industries and to seek opportunities for collaboration among the participants. The conferences organised by Choice Group had been very successful in attracting participations from all over the world.

Objectives of the Conference:

* Identify and present current research and knowledge.
* Facilitate international information exchange on various issues pertaining to onomics, different areas of social sciences and environment.
* Develop arena for network building among managers and researchers.
* Provide advice for future research.

The International Academic Forum in conjunction with its global partners is proud to announce the Second Annual Asian Conference on Sustainability, Energy and the Environment, to be held from May 3-6 2012, at the Ramada Osaka, Osaka, Japan.

CONFERENCE THEME: "Working Together Towards a Sustainable World"

Sustainability has emerged as the most important global issue for business, industry, government, and academia, and yet to begin with sustainability was associated only with environmental concerns such as energy and global warming. It is now recognized that the concept of sustainability is applicable to all areas of human society, for example in terms of social/economic justice, or responsible business practice. Issues such as poverty, hunger, education, health care, and access to markets should be a part of the evolution of any comprehensive sustainability paradigm as we work together to achieve a sustainable future. ACSEE 2012 will address these various dimensions of human sustainability as we invite scholars from around the world to address questions and search for solutions to the complex issues surrounding sustainability in a forum encouraging serious and thoughtful exchange between academics, members of the global business community, and practitioners in the fields of human endeavor that link these. We call on scientists from around the globe to meet and share our respective outlooks and collective wisdom on a critical issue of common concern: the pursuit of a sustainable world.

Members of IPPF are entitled to additional discount, please contact the IPPF Secretariat.

The 2012 edition returns to Kuala Lumpur and will focus on the future of the industry, addressing key and pressing issues such as:
- How to embark on long-term capacity building for future NPP Owner/Operator?
- What are the challenges in developing nuclear power infrastructure and are there new approaches to address such challenges?
- Reactor design - the new safety assessment criteria; how much have things changed?
- Has it become more "expensive" to finance nuclear new build?

Description
The rapid rise of China and India is reshaping our global economic and environmental systems—raising major issues of stability, governance, and sustainability.

This book develops a framework that shows the interdependence between economic size, trade, finance, technology, environment, security, and global governance. Author Carl J. Dahlman uses this framework to provide data on the speed of global power shifts and to trace the implications for nations worldwide. Analyzing this critical moment in historical context, he offers insights into our most pressing concerns.

Specifically, China and India's unchecked growth has the potential to ignite trade, resource, cold, and conventional wars. Moreover, these nations could set in motion monumental challenges related to climate change. The text warns that the current international governance system is not up to the challenges of defusing these frictions. Major powers, including China and India, must do more to address the gathering storm. Developing sustainable economic and social relationships will be a most difficult charge, but the cost of putting off reforms will be lower global welfare. Dahlman ends the book with starting points for change.

Description
Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our times andits implications for energy security are profound. Climate concerns, declining reserves of easily accessible oil and gas, and the rise of new energy consumers will drive transformative changes to global energy systems. While these issues prompt widespread economic, environmental, and security fears, they are also connected to positive changes that include democratization of access to modern energy in the developing world. Viewed on a global scale, the primary challenge is to manage the legitimate energy demands of 6.9 billion people within the context of ecological limits. In the light of these trends, the authors examine how the concept of energy security is, will, and ideally should be transformed in the light of scientific evidence that combustion of fossil fuels contributes to dangerous climatic change.

DescriptionThis book discusses climate change as a social issue by analysing its development in parallel with capitalism. By integrating political economy and environmental economics, it examines the incompatibility of the imperatives of capitalist development and the physical limits of the earth. The regulation approach is used to make an empirical analysis of the links between accumulation regimes, modes of consumption, energy regimes and climate change during the two most recent growth periods: Fordism and finance-driven capitalism. It also assesses the potential of the global governance network for dealing with climate change. It provides a critique of free-market environmental economics and special emphasis is given to international inequalities. The book concludes that real climate change mitigation is impossible within the framework of finance-driven capitalism. Far-reaching changes comparable to the postwar re-regulation of economy and society are required to avoid life threatening climate change.

Description
Environmental issues are of growing concern in China, with numerous initiatives aimed at cultivating dialogue and increasing awareness. And key to these initiatives is the environmental journalist. The first English-language study of this burgeoning new field, this book investigates Chinese environmental journalists - their methodologies, their attitudes toward the environment, and their views on the significance of their work - and concludes that most respond enthusiastically to government promptings to report on the environment and climate change. Additional chapters demonstrate journalists’ impact in helping to shape governmental decision-making.